Guest guest Posted June 26, 2002 Report Share Posted June 26, 2002 In reading my own post I realized that I typo'd the date of my implant surgery. It was actually done in 1992. This means 10 years of suffering!! The good news: I just got a call from the law office of a personal injury attorny. They said if they cannot take my case they will refer me to someone who can! "The longest journey starts with a single step..." Love, from Newport Beach, Ca. Lorri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2002 Report Share Posted June 27, 2002 Thank you . Love from Newport Beach, Ca. Lorri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 27, 2002 Report Share Posted June 27, 2002 Thank you, kelli. Love from Newport Beach, Ca. Lorri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 28, 2002 Report Share Posted June 28, 2002 Lorri, I have had my saline implants for almost ten years too! And i show alot of your symptoms. How are your health problems now? When you had them removed, did get a lift, and who was your PS? I'll be seeing Dr. Feng in September for removal. God Bless! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 25, 2006 Report Share Posted November 25, 2006 Hi, I had many of your symptoms 6 years prior to having McGhan double lumin implants....It was from having 12 molars filled with silver- MERCURY fillings. A year later, I felt like I had the flu every few days, multiple kidney infections--general malaise. Most of these ceased after removing the fillings! Of course, your troubles do coincide with implant surgery so I'm not negating the liklihood of the implants causing the problems, just a heads up in case my experience might help you. > > Hi . > Thank you. > Yes, my implants have been a complete nightmare and I've written about it > several times but I don't mind writing again if it will help someone. > I had them put in Dec. 1999. They were the smooth Saline filled McGhann > time-bombs. Within about a year I started to feel run down and emotionally > unable to cope. I was an avid runner and quite the athlete so this was > unusual. My boyfriend at the time dumped me because I was starting to have > trouble keeping up with life and didn't know why. I went through emotional > hell for a while but that was just the beginning. In 1995 I went to the > emergency room with symptoms of a stroke. I had a near syncope episode > followed by numbness and weakness on my right side. (I had been having > symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia for about 2 years but they had > gone undiagnosed), I was barely functioning at this point anyway so when I > actually had a symptom that warranted investigation I was actually relieved. > However, my relief turned into a nightmare as my symptoms got worse and there > was no diagnosis in sight. At first they thought it was a stroke or a TIA. > Then, they thought it was MS. After going through the hell of spinal taps, > MRIs, multiple venupunctures for the sake of testing, there was still no > answer. There was nothing that they could say definitively, " Your diagnosis > is:___________ " . I had a neurologist actually came into my hospital room, > sit on the edge of my bed and say, " Well, we think it's MS but don't worry. > It's not the end of the world " That was fun. I was seeing myself in a > wheelchair wetting myself and he gets up nonchalantly and walks out leaving > me there to contemplate this alone! You gotta love it! Then comes the, > " perhaps you should seek some psychological counseling, Sometimes people are > sick because they believe they are sick, " I won't tell you what I would like > to do to every Dr. that I have heard that from. First, they ruin your health > and then they tell you it's all in your head. What do we expect, right? Oh, > you mean I shouldn't expect that? Could'a fooled me!! Anyway, I digress,,,, > After the initial incident I started to have trouble with depth perception, > proprioception and ataxia. I even had episodes of speech aphasia (You know, > when you can get out the words that are in your head, They either come out > mixed up, or sporadically or not at all. I had all of these.) I couldn't > drive, I was even afraid to ride in cars because my proprioception was so > distorted that the motion made me scared and sick. I was having trouble > walking due to the weakness in my leg muscles. I had spotty numbness and > tingling and loss of motor control. When I tried to walk I could only > shuffle without straightening out my legs or lifting my feet. I started > walking with a cane when I could walk. After firing my PCP and my > neurologist I found another Dr. who actually found something that they had > overlooked and was able to treat that part of my symptoms. I had a positive > ANA. When I got treatment for this with steroids and hydroxychloroquine a > lot of my symptoms got better but this was not until I had become almost > totally nonfunctioning and had moved back in with my Mother at age 31!! The > steroids calmed down the systemic inflammation and my ANA went negative but > the neurological symptoms kept persisting off and on. I have been > hospitalized on 3 occasions with stroke-like symptoms, unable to walk, speak > and barely move my extremities at all. Every time, all the possibilities > were explored and everything came back negative. The last time I was > hospitalized, I think it was in Feb. of this year, I was unable to move at > all, I was shaking violently, all of the muscles in my body were tight like a > banjo string, I had zero gag reflex, speech aphasia - I was a mess!!! This > was a spell that lasted many hours at various levels of severity and Drs. > pumped me full of anti-seizer medication and anti-anxiety medication and some > type of migraine headache steroid! By morning I was walking and talking and > able to swallow and they sent me home but I continued to be weak for several > days. I have lived my life for years feeling sick, weak, tired, wondering if > I'm going to have the strength to handle each day, afraid to plan anything in > case I have an " episode " , afraid I might not be able to walk half the time, > and basically afraid to live!! I have had chronic stiffness and pain in my > neck and shoulders which had gotten much worse right before my explantation > surgery and had progressed to frequent migraines. I have been unable to run, > workout, finish school, get a real job or progress at all in my life because > I have just been trying to survive dealing with all of this alone with my 2 > beautiful children who have had to watch me suffer through all this. I was > told by every Dr. I ever saw that none of this could possibly be related to > my breast implants as there were no studies that show they are dangerous or > that women who have saline implants develop systemic illnesses any more often > than women who don't. It's funny though, my illness never had any real > diagnosis except Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (due to +ANA) and this never > explained any of the neurological problems. My rheumatologist told me that > not only were my implants not the problem but if I had them removed I would > be psychologically scarred and it would not help. My neurologist asked my if > I was sexually active and when I told him, no, he said, " Maybe that's your > problem. " Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else out there? I mean, > how many ways can I be humiliated, really? Thank you. May I have another?... > But, I digress again,,,*lol*. > There is a good end to this horror story. My current PCP did listen to me > and referred me to a PS who she thought might be able to help me. See, the > problem was getting my HMO to pay. I, being a single mother, didn't have the > resources to have an explantation even though I have wanted and known that I > have needed one for years. And, to my surprise, my PS was able to get my HMO > to pay for the explantation along with a complete capsulectomy and a biopsy > of the right and left pectorals major. When I asked him how he did it he > said that he was unable to present any scientific evedence to the insurance > company so he did some research online (following up on what I had done) and > collected a volume of annecdotal evidence which he presented as: " She might > be that one in a million...) I was so extatic that I didn't care about > recruiting him to my side. However, when I asked him why there have never > been and " scientific " studies done to prove that saline breast implants are > safe and effective to the purpose for which they are marketed he said, " you > are the study. " You gotta love it! I just about fell over. Not at what he > said, because I think I had already figured that out, but that he could sit > there and look me straight in the eyes and tell me this without flinching. > Now for the happy ending: I had my explantation done on June 4, 2002. I > feel great! The first symptom that went away was the neck stiffness and > headaches. Then, the chronic throbbing pain in my hands and feet. I have > not had any other neurological symptoms except a little numbness (like > asleep) feeling in my lower legs and feet when I walked on the treadmill for > an hour the other day! I just kept going and pushed through it and it went > away! I wake up early and feel good now. I'm no longer taking the > prescription pain medication every morning, going back to bed and waiting for > it to kick in so I can get up and function! I feel motivated, confident and > hopeful about the future! And, you know what? Most everyone says that they > can't really notice the difference in my size! Of course, after not running > and working out for years I have gone from a size 3 to a size 8 so I know > that part of it will go away when I get back down to my regular weight but I > don't care!!! I am so happy to have my life back!! All of my family and > friends are ecstatic for me too. My PS did send my implants and biopsy > material to pathology to be analyzed but I haven't heard anything yet and I > imagine that I won't if I don't keep pushing for the info. > That's my 'little' story. I hope that something in it can help someone else > in some way. > Love from Newport Beach. > Lorri > P.S. My AOL account is closing. Please change my Email address on the list to > lorri.lotr@... > Thanks. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 4, 2007 Report Share Posted June 4, 2007 Hi Lorri, Thank you so much for your great letter! I hope you will stay in touch. I wish I could change your email addy for you in the member list, but, alas, I cannot. You are the one that has to change your own contact info, using your ID and password. So glad to hear you are doing so well! Patty > > Hi . > Thank you. > Yes, my implants have been a complete nightmare and I've written about it > several times but I don't mind writing again if it will help someone. > I had them put in Dec. 1999. They were the smooth Saline filled McGhann > time-bombs. Within about a year I started to feel run down and emotionally > unable to cope. I was an avid runner and quite the athlete so this was > unusual. My boyfriend at the time dumped me because I was starting to have > trouble keeping up with life and didn't know why. I went through emotional > hell for a while but that was just the beginning. In 1995 I went to the > emergency room with symptoms of a stroke. I had a near syncope episode > followed by numbness and weakness on my right side. (I had been having > symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia for about 2 years but they had > gone undiagnosed), I was barely functioning at this point anyway so when I > actually had a symptom that warranted investigation I was actually relieved. > However, my relief turned into a nightmare as my symptoms got worse and there > was no diagnosis in sight. At first they thought it was a stroke or a TIA. > Then, they thought it was MS. After going through the hell of spinal taps, > MRIs, multiple venupunctures for the sake of testing, there was still no > answer. There was nothing that they could say definitively, " Your diagnosis > is:___________ " . I had a neurologist actually came into my hospital room, > sit on the edge of my bed and say, " Well, we think it's MS but don't worry. > It's not the end of the world " That was fun. I was seeing myself in a > wheelchair wetting myself and he gets up nonchalantly and walks out leaving > me there to contemplate this alone! You gotta love it! Then comes the, > " perhaps you should seek some psychological counseling, Sometimes people are > sick because they believe they are sick, " I won't tell you what I would like > to do to every Dr. that I have heard that from. First, they ruin your health > and then they tell you it's all in your head. What do we expect, right? Oh, > you mean I shouldn't expect that? Could'a fooled me!! Anyway, I digress,,,, > After the initial incident I started to have trouble with depth perception, > proprioception and ataxia. I even had episodes of speech aphasia (You know, > when you can get out the words that are in your head, They either come out > mixed up, or sporadically or not at all. I had all of these.) I couldn't > drive, I was even afraid to ride in cars because my proprioception was so > distorted that the motion made me scared and sick. I was having trouble > walking due to the weakness in my leg muscles. I had spotty numbness and > tingling and loss of motor control. When I tried to walk I could only > shuffle without straightening out my legs or lifting my feet. I started > walking with a cane when I could walk. After firing my PCP and my > neurologist I found another Dr. who actually found something that they had > overlooked and was able to treat that part of my symptoms. I had a positive > ANA. When I got treatment for this with steroids and hydroxychloroquine a > lot of my symptoms got better but this was not until I had become almost > totally nonfunctioning and had moved back in with my Mother at age 31!! The > steroids calmed down the systemic inflammation and my ANA went negative but > the neurological symptoms kept persisting off and on. I have been > hospitalized on 3 occasions with stroke-like symptoms, unable to walk, speak > and barely move my extremities at all. Every time, all the possibilities > were explored and everything came back negative. The last time I was > hospitalized, I think it was in Feb. of this year, I was unable to move at > all, I was shaking violently, all of the muscles in my body were tight like a > banjo string, I had zero gag reflex, speech aphasia - I was a mess!!! This > was a spell that lasted many hours at various levels of severity and Drs. > pumped me full of anti-seizer medication and anti-anxiety medication and some > type of migraine headache steroid! By morning I was walking and talking and > able to swallow and they sent me home but I continued to be weak for several > days. I have lived my life for years feeling sick, weak, tired, wondering if > I'm going to have the strength to handle each day, afraid to plan anything in > case I have an " episode " , afraid I might not be able to walk half the time, > and basically afraid to live!! I have had chronic stiffness and pain in my > neck and shoulders which had gotten much worse right before my explantation > surgery and had progressed to frequent migraines. I have been unable to run, > workout, finish school, get a real job or progress at all in my life because > I have just been trying to survive dealing with all of this alone with my 2 > beautiful children who have had to watch me suffer through all this. I was > told by every Dr. I ever saw that none of this could possibly be related to > my breast implants as there were no studies that show they are dangerous or > that women who have saline implants develop systemic illnesses any more often > than women who don't. It's funny though, my illness never had any real > diagnosis except Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (due to +ANA) and this never > explained any of the neurological problems. My rheumatologist told me that > not only were my implants not the problem but if I had them removed I would > be psychologically scarred and it would not help. My neurologist asked my if > I was sexually active and when I told him, no, he said, " Maybe that's your > problem. " Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else out there? I mean, > how many ways can I be humiliated, really? Thank you. May I have another?... > But, I digress again,,,*lol*. > There is a good end to this horror story. My current PCP did listen to me > and referred me to a PS who she thought might be able to help me. See, the > problem was getting my HMO to pay. I, being a single mother, didn't have the > resources to have an explantation even though I have wanted and known that I > have needed one for years. And, to my surprise, my PS was able to get my HMO > to pay for the explantation along with a complete capsulectomy and a biopsy > of the right and left pectorals major. When I asked him how he did it he > said that he was unable to present any scientific evedence to the insurance > company so he did some research online (following up on what I had done) and > collected a volume of annecdotal evidence which he presented as: " She might > be that one in a million...) I was so extatic that I didn't care about > recruiting him to my side. However, when I asked him why there have never > been and " scientific " studies done to prove that saline breast implants are > safe and effective to the purpose for which they are marketed he said, " you > are the study. " You gotta love it! I just about fell over. Not at what he > said, because I think I had already figured that out, but that he could sit > there and look me straight in the eyes and tell me this without flinching. > Now for the happy ending: I had my explantation done on June 4, 2002. I > feel great! The first symptom that went away was the neck stiffness and > headaches. Then, the chronic throbbing pain in my hands and feet. I have > not had any other neurological symptoms except a little numbness (like > asleep) feeling in my lower legs and feet when I walked on the treadmill for > an hour the other day! I just kept going and pushed through it and it went > away! I wake up early and feel good now. I'm no longer taking the > prescription pain medication every morning, going back to bed and waiting for > it to kick in so I can get up and function! I feel motivated, confident and > hopeful about the future! And, you know what? Most everyone says that they > can't really notice the difference in my size! Of course, after not running > and working out for years I have gone from a size 3 to a size 8 so I know > that part of it will go away when I get back down to my regular weight but I > don't care!!! I am so happy to have my life back!! All of my family and > friends are ecstatic for me too. My PS did send my implants and biopsy > material to pathology to be analyzed but I haven't heard anything yet and I > imagine that I won't if I don't keep pushing for the info. > That's my 'little' story. I hope that something in it can help someone else > in some way. > Love from Newport Beach. > Lorri > P.S. My AOL account is closing. Please change my Email address on the list to > lorri.lotr@... > Thanks. > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 5, 2007 Report Share Posted June 5, 2007 OH GOD BLESS YOU LORRI!!! Thank you for sharing this bittersweet story!! I am so sorry for all of the medical problems you went through, I am going through many of them as well so I know what kind of toll it can take on one's life!! I know the feeling of not wanting to ever make plans because I never know how I will feel on that day! My poor husband, I just think sometimes he wants to trade me in (he would never say that). He is very supportive but we have only been married for 3 years and the last 6 months has been pure hell on both of us. Medical bills coming ut the wazhoo, adding to it a huge loan to get explanted as my insurance wouldn't pay... etc. etc. etc. Plus, he wants children so badly but I fear with my current health that I couldn't even take care of a baby (even though I have wanted a baby for years). Somedays I feel like throwing in the towel, I just don't get it! But your story give me SOOOOO much hope!! Can you tell me how long after explant it took for you to get your life back? Can you also tell me what sort of detox, dieting and/or supplements you took which helped? Another big thank you and hug! You just made my sickly, sad day brighter!! Hugs, Lynn > > > > Hi . > > Thank you. > > Yes, my implants have been a complete nightmare and I've written > about it > > several times but I don't mind writing again if it will help > someone. > > I had them put in Dec. 1999. They were the smooth Saline filled > McGhann > > time-bombs. Within about a year I started to feel run down and > emotionally > > unable to cope. I was an avid runner and quite the athlete so > this was > > unusual. My boyfriend at the time dumped me because I was > starting to have > > trouble keeping up with life and didn't know why. I went through > emotional > > hell for a while but that was just the beginning. In 1995 I went > to the > > emergency room with symptoms of a stroke. I had a near syncope > episode > > followed by numbness and weakness on my right side. (I had been > having > > symptoms of chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia for about 2 years but > they had > > gone undiagnosed), I was barely functioning at this point anyway > so when I > > actually had a symptom that warranted investigation I was actually > relieved. > > However, my relief turned into a nightmare as my symptoms got > worse and there > > was no diagnosis in sight. At first they thought it was a stroke > or a TIA. > > Then, they thought it was MS. After going through the hell of > spinal taps, > > MRIs, multiple venupunctures for the sake of testing, there was > still no > > answer. There was nothing that they could say definitively, " > Your diagnosis > > is:___________ " . I had a neurologist actually came into my > hospital room, > > sit on the edge of my bed and say, " Well, we think it's MS but > don't worry. > > It's not the end of the world " That was fun. I was seeing myself > in a > > wheelchair wetting myself and he gets up nonchalantly and walks > out leaving > > me there to contemplate this alone! You gotta love it! Then > comes the, > > " perhaps you should seek some psychological counseling, Sometimes > people are > > sick because they believe they are sick, " I won't tell you what I > would like > > to do to every Dr. that I have heard that from. First, they ruin > your health > > and then they tell you it's all in your head. What do we expect, > right? Oh, > > you mean I shouldn't expect that? Could'a fooled me!! Anyway, I > digress,,,, > > After the initial incident I started to have trouble with depth > perception, > > proprioception and ataxia. I even had episodes of speech aphasia > (You know, > > when you can get out the words that are in your head, They either > come out > > mixed up, or sporadically or not at all. I had all of these.) I > couldn't > > drive, I was even afraid to ride in cars because my proprioception > was so > > distorted that the motion made me scared and sick. I was having > trouble > > walking due to the weakness in my leg muscles. I had spotty > numbness and > > tingling and loss of motor control. When I tried to walk I could > only > > shuffle without straightening out my legs or lifting my feet. I > started > > walking with a cane when I could walk. After firing my PCP and my > > neurologist I found another Dr. who actually found something that > they had > > overlooked and was able to treat that part of my symptoms. I had > a positive > > ANA. When I got treatment for this with steroids and > hydroxychloroquine a > > lot of my symptoms got better but this was not until I had become > almost > > totally nonfunctioning and had moved back in with my Mother at age > 31!! The > > steroids calmed down the systemic inflammation and my ANA went > negative but > > the neurological symptoms kept persisting off and on. I have been > > hospitalized on 3 occasions with stroke-like symptoms, unable to > walk, speak > > and barely move my extremities at all. Every time, all the > possibilities > > were explored and everything came back negative. The last time I > was > > hospitalized, I think it was in Feb. of this year, I was unable to > move at > > all, I was shaking violently, all of the muscles in my body were > tight like a > > banjo string, I had zero gag reflex, speech aphasia - I was a > mess!!! This > > was a spell that lasted many hours at various levels of severity > and Drs. > > pumped me full of anti-seizer medication and anti-anxiety > medication and some > > type of migraine headache steroid! By morning I was walking and > talking and > > able to swallow and they sent me home but I continued to be weak > for several > > days. I have lived my life for years feeling sick, weak, tired, > wondering if > > I'm going to have the strength to handle each day, afraid to plan > anything in > > case I have an " episode " , afraid I might not be able to walk half > the time, > > and basically afraid to live!! I have had chronic stiffness and > pain in my > > neck and shoulders which had gotten much worse right before my > explantation > > surgery and had progressed to frequent migraines. I have been > unable to run, > > workout, finish school, get a real job or progress at all in my > life because > > I have just been trying to survive dealing with all of this alone > with my 2 > > beautiful children who have had to watch me suffer through all > this. I was > > told by every Dr. I ever saw that none of this could possibly be > related to > > my breast implants as there were no studies that show they are > dangerous or > > that women who have saline implants develop systemic illnesses any > more often > > than women who don't. It's funny though, my illness never had any > real > > diagnosis except Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (due to +ANA) and > this never > > explained any of the neurological problems. My rheumatologist > told me that > > not only were my implants not the problem but if I had them > removed I would > > be psychologically scarred and it would not help. My neurologist > asked my if > > I was sexually active and when I told him, no, he said, " Maybe > that's your > > problem. " Does any of this sound familiar to anyone else out > there? I mean, > > how many ways can I be humiliated, really? Thank you. May I have > another?... > > But, I digress again,,,*lol*. > > There is a good end to this horror story. My current PCP did > listen to me > > and referred me to a PS who she thought might be able to help me. > See, the > > problem was getting my HMO to pay. I, being a single mother, > didn't have the > > resources to have an explantation even though I have wanted and > known that I > > have needed one for years. And, to my surprise, my PS was able to > get my HMO > > to pay for the explantation along with a complete capsulectomy and > a biopsy > > of the right and left pectorals major. When I asked him how he > did it he > > said that he was unable to present any scientific evedence to the > insurance > > company so he did some research online (following up on what I had > done) and > > collected a volume of annecdotal evidence which he presented > as: " She might > > be that one in a million...) I was so extatic that I didn't care > about > > recruiting him to my side. However, when I asked him why there > have never > > been and " scientific " studies done to prove that saline breast > implants are > > safe and effective to the purpose for which they are marketed he > said, " you > > are the study. " You gotta love it! I just about fell over. Not > at what he > > said, because I think I had already figured that out, but that he > could sit > > there and look me straight in the eyes and tell me this without > flinching. > > Now for the happy ending: I had my explantation done on June 4, > 2002. I > > feel great! The first symptom that went away was the neck > stiffness and > > headaches. Then, the chronic throbbing pain in my hands and > feet. I have > > not had any other neurological symptoms except a little numbness > (like > > asleep) feeling in my lower legs and feet when I walked on the > treadmill for > > an hour the other day! I just kept going and pushed through it > and it went > > away! I wake up early and feel good now. I'm no longer taking > the > > prescription pain medication every morning, going back to bed and > waiting for > > it to kick in so I can get up and function! I feel motivated, > confident and > > hopeful about the future! And, you know what? Most everyone says > that they > > can't really notice the difference in my size! Of course, after > not running > > and working out for years I have gone from a size 3 to a size 8 so > I know > > that part of it will go away when I get back down to my regular > weight but I > > don't care!!! I am so happy to have my life back!! All of my > family and > > friends are ecstatic for me too. My PS did send my implants and > biopsy > > material to pathology to be analyzed but I haven't heard anything > yet and I > > imagine that I won't if I don't keep pushing for the info. > > That's my 'little' story. I hope that something in it can help > someone else > > in some way. > > Love from Newport Beach. > > Lorri > > P.S. My AOL account is closing. Please change my Email address on > the list to > > lorri.lotr@ > > Thanks. > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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